I seem to recall some days ago promising you all a Christmas pudding. I ended up writing an entirely different post about the loss of my cat Neko and I was amazed at the response I got from all of my wonderful, compassionate readers. I had been self-conscious about posting something so very painfully personal, but I realized after writing it that my experience was not exactly personal- it is one shared by anyone who has shared their lives with a pet and lost them. Thank you to all of you who responded with kind words and shared your own experiences with your beloved pets. Each and every comment was very precious and brought me a great deal of comfort. And now, my dear readers, I would like to give you something for this holiday season. Here is that pudding recipe that I was supposed to post. I think it is worth the wait, and also the perfect entry for the most recent Family Traditions themed edition of Go Ahead Honey it is Gluten-free, hosted by Carol of Simply Gluten-free.

I mentioned in this post on Amaranth Sorghum Persimmon Muffins that we had a persimmon tree in our back yard. They are delightful for snacking on, but one can only eat so many, and the idea of using them in baking appealed to me. I scoured the internet looking for creative ideas and came across a very interesting recipe for a (gluten) persimmon pudding. I adapted it to be gluten-free and suit our tastes for a Thanksgiving dessert and found it delightful. I’m very in favor of any dessert you can light on fire. It is so festive, and satisfies any latent tendencies for pyromania in a socially acceptable way. This would be lovely for a Christmas dinner, in my opinion. I stored it in the refrigerator so it would keep as long as possible. To refresh it after a day or so in the refrigerator, just microwave a single serving briefly. It is very, very tasty with vanilla ice cream. No dairy? No problem. Soy, rice, or coconut milk offers some beautifully decadent and dairy-free ice cream options.

Do you know how hard it is to get a good photo of a flaming pudding at night? My father-in-law took the above of mother-in-law/grandma holding Baby Yum. I thought it was rather sweet. Here are a few other of my attempts, albeit with a rather unfortunate lack of white balancing. *Sigh*

Here is the DH with creme brulee torch in hand, watching the pudding burn. You should see him tending fire pits… I think we all have an inner pyromaniac, but his is a little closer to the surface than most. If you look closely, you can see a little grey kitty snuggled up on the arm of the couch in the background. It was one of his favorite places to be.

*I know I am late posting the roundup for Adopt-a-gluten-free Blogger. My apologies, all. I will get it up as soon as I can. Adopt-a-gluten-free-Blogger will take a brief holiday hiatus and be open again for new sign-ups in January.

Grease a 5 or 6 cup oven-safe pudding mold that will fit in a large pot with a rack or steaming insert. (You can use Earth balance margarine, palm shortening, or butter if not dairy-free.)

Thoroughly combine sugar and margarine in a large bowl, using a spoon or mixer if you prefer. Sift dry ingredients (flours, and spices-NOT including the baking soda) together and add to the butter. Fold in your persimmon pulp. Drop your baking soda into the warm water and lightly whisk. Add baking soda solution, 3 tablespoons brandy and vanilla to your batter. Add eggs and gently combine. Sprinkle in your raisins, stir, and pour into your buttered mold.

Here is the cool part. Cover the mold (I used aluminum foil) and put on your rack or steamer insert in your large pot. Fill with boiling water halfway up the side of the mold. Put lid on your large pot and simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Let stand a few minutes before you unmold it.

When you serve it, pour 4 tablespoons warmed brandy on the pudding and light it on fire. Should have a gorgeous little blue flame for a bit. If you warm the brandy and let it sit too long before pouring, the alcohol might evaporate and not want to light. In this case, just add a little more brandy and try to relight until *poof* you have a flaming pudding on your table! (Yes, this happened to me)

7 Responses to “Gluten-free Christmas Persimmon Pudding Recipe”

Very, very cool, Sea! Or hot … LOL … you know what I mean. ;-) I can see the flames in all the photos! We have a persimmon tree on our mtn property. Will have to actually use some next year for snacking or making this pudding! The closest I’ve come to such a pudding is making my bread pudding, which I do love. I like that no bread is required to make this recipe though. Fabulous job as usual, Sea. Thanks so much for the link love, too!

How festive. I always like the added danger of fire during the holidays. Great shot of grandma keeping Baby Yum safe from the flaming pudding. Merry Christmas to you and your little family and a Happy New Year, too!

Someplace I have a cookbook entirely devoted to flaming desserts. I’ve never cooked a single one, but I got it for a buck at the Friends of the Library booksale and I love the idea of flaming desserts, so there it is. :)

It looks like a year later and I find your wonderful posted recipe, but first I amtouched by Niko’s plight. I have a 13 yo marbled colored tricolor which I dearly luv. I cannot imagine what days will like without Bizkit. *sigh* I hope the past year has been a healing time for you.
Plz know that I intend to make your luscious looking persimmon pudding – flaming is certain to be a real bonus. My adult son recently discovered his health requires GF baking. I am anxious to find a desert for the holidays that is new to our family rather that just dedicate time recalculating “old” favorites into palatable GF food. This make GF eating an envy! I believe he will be pressed to share. LOL. Blessings for a 2011 Thanksgiving and Christmas. ty